Plant Operations Manager

Overview:

The Plant Operations Manager is responsible for leading all operations at the Strongsville, OH manufacturing facility. This role ensures the plant meets safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives in alignment with annual sales and budget goals. The Plant Operations Manager provides strategic leadership, develops and coaches plant staff, and drives continuous improvement initiatives. As the leader of a unionized facility, this position plays a key role in maintaining positive labor relations, resolving grievances, and upholding collective bargaining agreements while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence.

Core Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and direction for all manufacturing operations, including Production, Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, Shipping & Receiving, EH&S and Production Control.
• Establish and execute manufacturing goals to meet the annual sales plan and budget.
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels, capital resources, and equipment are in place to support production demands.
• Partner with union leadership to foster a productive, respectful work environment while ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreement.
• Drive a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement across the facility.
• Lead and develop plant leadership and hourly teams to ensure high performance and engagement.
• Monitor and manage plant performance metrics (safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity).
• Walk the plant floor regularly to ensure adherence to safety and quality standards, identify issues, and engage with employees.
• Participate in the resolution of grievances and labor negotiations when appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and all applicable safety/environmental regulations.
• Prepare and deliver regular performance and budget updates to senior management.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to optimize processes, reduce waste, and improve throughput.
• Oversee outside maintenance of plant grounds to ensure safety, appearance, and compliance with company standards.
• Manages building maintenance, including oversight of the crew responsible for facility and equipment upkeep in the shop.
• Directly manages the Tooling Manager and oversees the Tooling department.
• Supervises company truck drivers to ensure compliance with safety, delivery, and operational requirements.
• Support ISO 9001 and 14001 quality management and environmental systems.
• Complete special projects assigned by the Director, Global Operations

Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• 10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Proven leadership experience manufacturing environment.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiating, time management and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement.
• Comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and supply chain dynamics.
• Familiarity with OSHA and other safety compliance requirements.
• Experience working within ISO 9001, 14001 or equivalent quality systems.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial/manufacturing engineering, Operations Management, or related discipline.
• Experience leading in a unionized environment.
• Six Sigma training/certification.

Cross Area Competencies:

• Safety and Environmental Compliance
• Quality Management
• Supply Chain & Logistics
• Financial Acumen (budgeting, cost control, CapEx)
• Engineering Collaboration
• Production Planning
• Sales/Operations Planning Alignment
• Lean Project Management